Summary
A plan of attack.
A determined team in pursuit of something great.
Chaos, quick thinking, scheduling, and money constraints.
Image via TIFF
There’s a surprising amount of crossover between pulling off a heist and producing a feature film.
you might watch the full interview at TIFF in the video above or read the conversation transcript below.
COLLIDER: The film turned out fantastic.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
This is my kind of genre, but everyone watching will not have seen it yet.
How have you been describing the film to friends and family?
FREDERIK LOUIS HVIID: We’ve been describing it as a Danish heist film based on a true story.
Imaeg by Photagonist at TIFF
The point is a challenge to do something different.
It’s not one more movie about bank robbing, but it really gives space to the characters themselves.
It’s interesting because you have to talk without giving away everything.
Image via UGC Distribution
HVIID: Don’t give it away!
Then I think any chance to be in a heist movie.
HVIID: I’ll take the compliment.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
So, I’m really happy that I was allowed.
To be a part of that felt once-in-a-lifetime because you don’t really do them back home.
Also, I heard so much about Frederik; I have friends who work with him.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
And it was wonderful.
I wanna talk specifically about the beginning.
There’s a robbery at the beginning, and it’s a oner.
Custom Image by Nimesh Niyomal
It’s a very ambitious shot in terms of filmmaking.
We rehearsed a lot.
Danish shooting hours are very short compared to US shooting days.
The thing is,Danish films don’t have the US budget.
There was a lot of rehearsing that went on, but I really think it paid off.
For this punch in of film, the reason why we did it isnt just to be flashy.
In 2008, a group of men from Denmark and across Europe pull off the biggest heist of all time on Danish soil. Kasper, a boxer with few chances left in life, is offered the opportunity to plan the robbery by its foreign initiators.
It’s because time is very much an essence in heist films.
You’re on time, you’re late it’s all about getting shit done in time.
I think that was the reason.
Cinephiles and people who understand moviemaking understand what the director is pulling off and how challenging it is.
I can’t believe you only had four shields.
HVIID: [Laughs] I can’t believe it either.
Youre freaking out because of the chaos.
I don’t wanna spoil anything, but because of the circumstances, they were already late.
He said, You know what?
I mean, just picking up a bag of money was like 50 kilos.
He said, a very, very interesting thing while we were preparing it.
And I think that was a very interesting way of putting it.
COLLIN: It’s like a movie.
HVIID: That was a lot of days.
GIESE: Yeah, a lot of the days.
The whole car chase, the way we did it was very practical and old-school, I guess.
I was thinking, How is this gonna turn out?
I don’t know.
But the whole robbery I was excited about doing.
It was very tough, a physical test during long nights and stuff.
HVIID: Three weeks of nights.
GIESE: My boxing scenes, I was looking forward to that, as well.
So there was a lot in this film.
And all the scenes with the gangsters, all the power struggle, and the underlining intimidating one another.
When I read the scenes, I was like, Im looking forward to playing that scene.
I’m looking forward to playing that scene.
COLLIN: Gustav and I worked out a lot.
COLLIN: I remember texting you, I ate oatmeal for breakfast.
Is this right or wrong?
[Laughs] You were like, No, its good.
Eat it without anything.
And the lighting and everything, and sweat.
GIESE: [Laughs] Yeah, youre [not] like that all the time.
Youcan, but I mean, you’re not gonna feel very happy.
You’re gonna be miserable.
That’s something we really shared, to have only three takes to do this scene, for example.
It was very exciting.
We had this scene at the second one, and the last one was just for pleasure.
We never shoot a movie.
We can have how many takes, as many takes as we want.
That’s something very challenging shared in this situation, and precious.
WAGELIN: It’s like free adrenaline.
It’s like dancing, and I just love to work that way.
It’s not very common that you do those types of scenes, so it felt very exclusive.
I know that everybody was under pressure time-wise and budget-wise, but I was just enjoying it.
HVIID: Thats the fun part of making films.
You actually have to do it in time, as it is with every film.
So, with those limitations, actually, I really thrive in those.
Sometimes hitting a wall you have to get around inspires a better creative decision.
This is obviously based on a true story, but where did you feel like you could take liberties?
HVIID: I felt like we could take liberties anywhere, to be honest.
I was very conscious that we weren’t making a documentary.
But I realized that those gaps we needed to fill creatively with film.
I totally get it.
I do have to ask the two of you some individual questions.
I loveA Prophet, which was very early in your career.
KATEB: It was the first feature movie I shot.
It was the first world tour.
[Laughs] But shooting it was a very special feeling.
Actually, that’s something I really keep with me all the time since then.
It’s been 15 years now.
HVIID: I’ve seen it countless times.
KATEB: We spoke about this film the first time we met.
I want to emphasizeA Prophetis fucking awesome.
HVIID: Yeah, watch that one!
For sure.I lovedRaised by Wolves, and so, so sorry it didn’t go further.
When you think back, what do you miss most about making that show?
COLLIN: The latex suit.
No, it was a great experience.
The work-life balance was really good for me on that one.
I had my entire family with me, and it functioned very well.
It’s very rare when you get to actually do those things.
Otherwise, it’s very family and then removed from family.
So, I do miss that.
It was lots of fun.
You got to be part ofHouse of the Dragon, which is kind of popular.
Just a little bit.
COLLIN: Yeah, Ive heard of it.
I think some people have seen it.
But nerds also come with low budgets.
So, I don’t know.
It was just a fantastic experience and everyone was super nice, and I got to wear a cape.
COLLIN: That’s me on set, the nerd like, Oh my god!
As a director, are you watching anything for inspiration, or do you wanna avoid everything?
HVIID: No, I don’t wanna avoid anything.
I’ve seen it a million times.
I know it inside out.
Obviously, I’m very inspired by film.
I watch a lot of films, and so they also influence my work.
KATEB: Like Frederik, I had seen so many films, andHeatso many times.
It wasn’t so much about being a gangste, it was just about trying to make something.
Heist, heist, baby.
And because you’re such a nerd, you feel so safe as an actor, right?
You have great taste and musicality, and you know your stuff.
This is your second film, and you’ll be making a third.
There’s no getting around that.
HVIID: I hope so.
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